232 BRITISH BIRDS. 



a single bird at their breeding-places in the Highlands in September and 

 the beginning of October, though he repeatedly tried to do so. Precisely 

 the same information was given me by the gamekeepers in Sherwood 

 Forest ; but if these alleged facts be true, the Woodcock would be very 

 exceptional in its migrations. This bird is certainly not a gipsy migrant, 

 but has a regular winter home, to which it is very constant in returning 

 year after year. The rule amongst regular migrants is unquestionably 

 that whenever the breeding-range overlaps the winter range, the birds in 

 the overlapping districts are residents, those breeding further north 

 only passing through the intervening district on migration to winter 

 further south. Before the Woodcock can be regarded as exceptional 

 in this respect, it must be proved that the birds bred in this country 

 really leave our shores, and that their apparent absence is not to be ex- 

 plained by their skulking habits during their autumnal moult. A strong 

 argument that they do not migrate is to be found in the fact that it is not an 

 uncommon thing to find eggs of the Woodcock in our islands at the time 

 when the great spring migration to this country is only just beginning. 



The Woodcock disappears from its winter- quarters in the basin of the 

 Mediterranean at Gibraltar during the last half of February, and in the 

 Levant during the first half of March. It passes through North Germany 

 and the British Islands during the month of March, and arrives in South 

 Sweden late in March or early in April. It reappears upon our shores 

 during the month of October, the migration often lasting through 

 November, and reaches the basin of the Mediterranean in the east during 

 the last half of October, and in the west during the first half of November. 

 The Woodcock is almost entirely nocturnal in its habits and only migrates 

 at night. It is quite as solitary in its habits as its congeners, migrating 

 across country singly or in pairs, and only appearing to be gregarious 

 whilst crossing the sea, and then only when an accumulation of birds has 

 taken place in consequence of the continuance of unfavourable winds. 

 Under these circumstances flights of Woodcocks have been seen crossing 

 the ocean, but they are said to disperse as soon as the shore is reached, or 

 even when land is in sight. 



During the day the Woodcock frequents the outskirts of woods and 

 forests where there is plenty of cover under which it can lie concealed. 

 In the evening it seeks the marshes to feed ; but even under the protection 

 of the shades of twilight it is still very cautious in exposing itself to view, 

 and prefers swampy ground either in the forest or in open places abounding 

 with brushwood and rank vegetation. In its winter-quarters in India it 

 is described as avoiding stagnant swamps, and only frequenting those 

 where running water is to be found. When disturbed during the day it 

 rises with a whirring sound, occasionally, but not always, uttering a cry 

 resembling that of the Common Snipe, and which may be represented by 



